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Recently, Nordstrom went through a full revamp of its loyalty program and came up with “The Nordy Club.” Despite its funny program name (maybe it is following in World of Hyatt’s footsteps?), it is actually a nice enhancement compared to the previous program. With this iteration, you’ll earn points on every purchase you make at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, HauteLook and Trunk Club — in addition to receiving many member benefits. Joining the program is free, but you now have the opportunity to earn even more points and receive a ton of extra benefits with the Nordstrom Credit Card. In the past few years, it has been a loyalty trend across retailers to treat top spenders who carry co-branded cards with special benefits.

While Nordstrom might not be the most economical place to shop for your family, they have some nice anniversary sales that bring down merchandise prices significantly and Nordstrom, by far, has the best return policy in the business. Essentially, there is no return policy! You can make a return at any point in time for any reason, even years later if something they sold lets you down. For families with kids that change their mind on clothing quite often or with clothes that are suddenly no longer “comfy,” this is a nice insurance policy to have in your back pocket. I’ve definitely benefited from this liberal policy in the past.

(Nordstrom.com)

Earning Points With The Nordy Club

There are three different earning levels based on how you pay. Of course, the best way to maximize your points is to pay with your Nordstrom Credit Card. This will earn you 3 points per dollar spent, which is a 50% increase on the number of points you used to earn prior to the revamp. For those with the Nordstrom Debit Card, you’ll earn 2 points per dollar spent and if you pay by any other means, you’ll earn a simple 1 point per dollar spent. If you shop at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, HauteLook and Trunk Club often, the Nordstrom Credit Card is the way to go.

(Nordstrom.com)

You will then earn Nordstrom Notes, which can be applied to any purchase in the future. When using the Nordstrom app, you will be able to unlock your earned Nordstrom Notes even faster in $5, $10, $15 or $20 increments. Previously you had to wait until you had a $20 Note to spend. These Notes can easily be applied during checkout online or in-store at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack and HauteLook. Tip: These Notes expire one year from the date issued, but a salesperson can also put the amount on a Nordstrom gift card for you prior to the expiration date.

Keep in mind too that these earning rates are in addition to any earnings you’d get by going through an online shopping portal. While Nordstrom (unfortunately) doesn’t participate in any of these, Nordstrom Rack does. I’d recommend starting at a shopping portal aggregator to compare the bonus earning rates across these portals and select the one that makes the most sense.

Great Benefits With The Nordy Club

For those of you who think in terms of hotel and airline loyalty programs, The Nordy Club actually works in a similar fashion. You’ll earn status based on how much you spend at the retailer in a given year. The higher the status, the better the benefits.

Member ($0–$500 spend per year)

First to shop select brands

Access to beauty and style workshops

Curbside pickup

Reserve online and try in store

Free basic alterations

Insider ($500–$1,999 spend per year)

All of the member benefits, plus:

First to shop Clear the Rack

1 Personal Double Points Day

Influencer ($2,000–$4,999 spend per year)

All of the member and insider benefits, plus:

Priority access to style events

2 Personal Double Points Days

Ambassador ($5,000+ spend per year)

All of the member, insider and influencer benefits, plus:

Access to invite-only events

Nordstrom to You (in-home stylist)

3 Personal Double Points Days

(Nordstrom.com)

Card Member-Only Benefits

Just being a card member will give you automatic Insider benefits, which means right off the bat you’ll receive one Personal Double Points Day and the option to shop the Clear the Rack sales before anyone else. You’ll also receive two additional benefits solely for card members, regardless of your status:

Early Access to Anniversary Sale — Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale held each summer is probably one of my favorite retail sales as it allows me to stock up on clothes for the family. Since many clothes items are discounted, they can sell out early, so having early access prior to the general population is huge. I can easily order online, have my family try on the clothes, and ship the items back that do not fit (for free!).

Alterations Benefit — For any purchases made at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, HauteLook or Trunk Club, you will be reimbursed for the cost of your alternations in Nordstrom Notes (up to $100 for Insider members, up to $200 for Influencer members, and up to $300 for Ambassador members). This can be an amazing savings for a family as alternation costs are not cheap!

Nordstrom Credit Cards

There are actually two different types of Nordstrom Cards available — a Nordstrom Retail store card that can only be used at Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, HauteLook and Trunk Club, and the Nordstrom Visa that can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. The Visa will allow you to earn points on everyday spend outside of the retailer, where you’ll receive 2x points on dining, entertainment and travel, and 1x point everywhere else. You’ll also receive a $40 bonus Note when you make any purchase at Nordstrom, Nordstrom.com or Nordstrom Rack on your new card the day you’re approved.

(Andrew Francis Wallace/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

While this is a great card for those who shop for their families at Nordstrom and can reap the benefits of having Insider status, if you care about the Chase’s “5/24” rule then proceed with caution. The Nordstrom Retail card (which cannot be used outside of Nordstrom) should not count toward your 5/24 number if you are looking to apply for a Chase card in the future. (The Nordstrom Visa, however, will.) Approval for store credit cards is usually easy to get and can be a great opportunity for someone who is trying to build his or her credit (just make sure to always pay your bill on time).

Bottom Line

This is a welcome upgrade in the Nordstrom program and I am glad to see them taking care of shoppers. I like that everyone can earn points to apply toward future shopping purchases, while those with a Nordstrom card now earn points faster. It’s also relatively easy to earn Insider status — shopping early and alteration benefits is something my family will definitely use!

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The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.